An absorbent sanitary article and a method for producing the same

Abstract

An absorbent sanitary article including a chassis and at least one transverse elastic element including in a unitary component an elastic gasketing portion extending between two side edges of the chassis and two elastic side panels extending transversally outwardly beyond respective side edges of the chassis.

1 . An absorbent sanitary article comprising:
 a chassis having a longitudinal axis, two side edges, rear and front transverse edges, rear and front waist sections, and a crotch section intermediate between the rear and front waist sections, the chassis including a topsheet having an outer surface which in use is adapted to be in contact with a user's skin, a backsheet, and an absorbent core set between the topsheet and the backsheet, and   at least one transverse elastic element applied on the outer surface of the topsheet in at least one of said rear and front waist sections, the at least one transverse elastic element comprising in a unitary component:
 an elastic gasketing portion elastically stretchable in a transverse direction orthogonal to said longitudinal axis and extending between the two side edges of the chassis, 
 two elastic side panels elastically stretchable in said transverse direction and extending transversally outwardly beyond respective side edges of the chassis, and 
 two non-elastic portions each extending between a respective elastic side panel and the elastic gasketing portion, 
   wherein the at least one transverse elastic element is attached to the chassis along a C-shaped attachment profile including two opposite longitudinal portions adjacent to respective side edges of the chassis and a transverse outer portion adjacent to one of said rear and front transverse edges of the chassis,   wherein a central inner region of the elastic gasketing portion is detached from the outer surface of the topsheet to form a pocket open toward said crotch section.   
     
     
         2 . The absorbent sanitary article of  claim 1 , wherein said two non-elastic portions are overlapped to said two opposite longitudinal portions of said C-shaped attachment profile. 
     
     
         3 . The absorbent sanitary article of  claim 1 , wherein the at least one transverse elastic element comprises a central transversally stretchable elastic film extending between said two non-elastic portions and two lateral transversally stretchable elastic films extending laterally outwardly of the respective non-elastic portions. 
     
     
         4 . The absorbent sanitary article of  claim 1 , wherein said elastic gasketing portion and said two elastic side panels have different transverse elasticity. 
     
     
         5 . The absorbent sanitary article of  claim 1 , wherein each of said two elastic side panels has a transverse elasticity comprised between 160-200% and wherein said elastic gasketing portion has a transverse elasticity comprised between 50-100%. 
     
     
         6 . The absorbent sanitary article of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one transverse elastic element is attached to the chassis by glue along said transverse outer portion and by welding and/or glue along said two opposite longitudinal portions. 
     
     
         7 . The absorbent sanitary article of  claim 1 , wherein said two elastic side panels have respective non-elastic distal portions carrying respective fastening formations. 
     
     
         8 . The absorbent sanitary article of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one transverse elastic element comprises an outer layer of impermeable plastic material. 
     
     
         9 . The absorbent sanitary article of  claim 8 , wherein said outer layer of impermeable plastic material forms a surface of the elastic gasketing portion facing the outer surface of the topsheet. 
     
     
         10 . The absorbent sanitary article of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one transverse elastic element comprises at least one layer of non-woven material. 
     
     
         11 . The absorbent sanitary article of  claim 10 , wherein said at least one layer of non-woven material forms a surface of the elastic gasketing portion which in use is adapted to be in contact with the user's skin. 
     
     
         12 . A method for producing absorbent sanitary articles, comprising:
 providing a continuous elastic laminate elastically stretchable in a transverse direction, comprising two non-elastic outer layers and at least one elastic film sandwiched between the two non-elastic outer layers,   providing an array of chassis each having a longitudinal axis, two side edges, rear and front transverse edges, rear and front waist sections, and a crotch section intermediate between the rear and front waist sections, each chassis including a topsheet having an outer surface which in use is adapted to be in contact with a user's skin, a backsheet, and an absorbent core set between the topsheet and the backsheet,   transversely cutting said continuous elastic laminate to form individual transverse elastic elements each including in a unitary component:
 an elastic gasketing portion, 
 two elastic side panels extending on opposite sides of the elastic gasketing portion, and 
 two non-elastic portions each extending between a respective elastic side panel and the elastic gasketing portion, 
   applying said individual transverse elastic elements on the outer surface of the topsheet of a respective chassis in at least one of said rear and front waist sections, such that the elastic gasketing portion of each transverse elastic element extends between the two side edges of the respective chassis and the two elastic side panels extend transversally outwardly beyond respective side edges of the respective chassis, and   attaching each transverse elastic element to a respective chassis along a C-shaped attachment profile including two opposite longitudinal portions adjacent to respective side edges of the respective chassis and a transverse outer portion adjacent to one of said rear and front transverse edges, wherein a central inner region of the elastic gasketing portion is detached from the outer surface of the topsheet to form a pocket open toward said crotch section.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein said two opposite longitudinal portions of each C-shaped attachment profile are overlapped to respective non-elastic portions. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein providing a continuous elastic laminate elastically stretchable in the transverse direction, comprises:
 providing a continuous elastic film having a longitudinal direction,   elastically stretching said continuous elastic film in the transverse direction orthogonal to said longitudinal direction,   cutting said continuous elastic film while held stretched in said transverse direction along two parallel longitudinal cutting lines, to provide a central elastic film and two lateral elastic films stretched in said transverse direction,   transversally spacing from each other longitudinal edges of said central elastic film and two lateral elastic films,   sandwiching said central elastic film and two lateral elastic films stretched in said transverse direction between two outer non-elastic layers, and   joining said central elastic film and two lateral elastic films stretched in said transverse direction to said two outer non-elastic layers.